(Even the term “foreign film” reveals a U.S. bias, so what we’re really asking for is film made outside of the U.S.)

Since March is Women’s History Month, and this coming Friday, March 8th, is International Women’s Day, we thought this would be an excellent time to take a close look at cinema in many parts of the world, and how women and gender are depicted in non-Hollywood films.

Here are some suggestions–but feel free to propose your own ideas!

AmourAmelieCrouching Tiger, Hidden DragonA SeparationPan’s LabyrinthMaria Full of GracePersepolisThe Lives of OthersThe Diving Bell and the ButterflyVolverAll About My MotherWomen on the Verge of Nervous BreakdownY Tu Mama TambienLet the Right One InBabette’s FeastI’ve Loved You So LongCaramelUnder the BombsCity of GodLife Is BeautifulI Am LoveYesterdayIndochineEat Drink Man WomanThe MaidRaise the Red LanternCeline and Julie Go BoatingIn a Better WorldChildren of HeavenCamille Claudel8 1/2Ghost in the Shell

War WitchSpirited AwayKiki’s Delivery ServiceMy Neighbor Totoro

Some basic guidelines for guest writers:

–Pieces should be between 700 and 2,000 words.

–Include images (with captions) and links in your piece.–Send your piece in the text of an email, attaching all images, no later than Friday, March 15th.–Include a 2-3 sentence bio for placement at the end of your piece.

Email us at btchflcks(at)gmail(dot)com if you’d like to contribute a review. We accept original pieces or cross-posts.

I’d love to propose Young & Wild for the list! It’s a really great movie from Chile, the tale of a young woman’s coming of age in a religious enviroment while she struggles to come to terms with her identity and sexuality (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2125698/).

I don’t know if this is going too obscure, but Romanian director Cristian Mungiu made two films focused on friendship between women, “4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days”, which won Palme D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and “Beyond the Hills”, which won Best Screenplay in Cannes, as well as being on the shortlist for the Best Foreign Film Oscar nominations (and both were praised quite enthusiastically by US critics, too). I volunteer to write about them if it’s of any interest.